By Chris Wright
Manchester City’s gloriously mental barm-ball Mario Balotelli has lost his appeal the against the dismissal he received during his side’s 2-0 win over West Brom at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
After scoring both of City’s goals, Balotelli tangled with, then appeared to stamp on, Youssuf Mulumbu and was shown a straight red card for his efforts. City issued a statement almost immediately after the game, saying that they intended to appeal against the call but the FA have announced this afternoon that the appeal has been upheld:
“At a Regulatory Commission hearing, a claim that the standard punishment is clearly excessive from Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli was dismissed. As a result, Balotelli will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect.”
The FA’s decision means that Super Mario will now miss the Manchester derby tomorrow night, as well as City’s upcoming Premier League games with Birmingham and Fulham.